Venereal Diseases in New Zealand (1922) eBook

Inasmuch as one of the many letters addressed to the
Committee favoured the adoption of the Continental
system of licensed houses of prostitution, with medical
inspection of the inmates, it seems desirable to examine
the arguments for and against such a proposal.
Those who support it contend that so long as human
nature remains as it is prostitution will continue,
therefore it is better that it should be regulated
with a view to controlling the spread of disease.
It is also urged that the system acts as a safeguard
against sexual perversion by providing an outlet for
the unrestricted appetites of men; that in its absence
clandestine prostitution increases, and innocent girls
are more likely to be led astray or become the victims
of sexual violence. Apart from the moral aspect
of the case, these arguments are entirely fallacious;
and even in the countries where the licensed-house
system prevails enlightened public opinion has come
to that conclusion. In the first place, the idea
that the system tends to lessen disease is a dangerous
delusion. Owing to the fact, already referred
to, that venereal disease in the early stages is difficult
to detect in women, even by skilled experts working
with the best methods and with practically unlimited
time at their disposal, the routine inspection given,
for example, in the French and German houses is no
guarantee of the inmates being free from communicable
disease even at the time of inspection.

Flexner, who spent two years in making inquiries and
writing his classic work on “Prostitution in
Europe,” is most emphatic on this point.
The experience of the American troops in the Great
War is further strong confirmation. The following
is an extract from an article published by the American
Red Cross in May, 1918: “During the months
of August, September, October, and the first half
of November, the houses of prostitution flourished
and were half-filled with soldiers. On November
15th rigid orders were issued placing these houses
out of bounds, and the immediate result was a great
reduction of sexual contacts. As a result there
was a steady decline in venereal infections, and the
monthly rate per 1,000, which in October reached 16.8,
dropped in January to 2.1 among the white troops.
During the same period there was an even more striking
drop in the infections among the negro labourers,
the percentage dropping from 108.7 per 1,000 a month
to 11 per 1,000. No statistics could speak more
eloquently for the doctrine of closing the houses
of prostitution. Our studies showed numerous infections
coming from houses ‘inspected’ three times
a week.”

In May, 1921, a conference (the North European Conference
on Venereal Diseases), in which England, Finland,
Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark participated,
passed the following resolution: “This
conference, having considered the general measures
for the combating of venereal diseases which have
been adopted by the participating countries, is unanimously
of the opinion, so far as the experience of these
countries is concerned, that the legal and official
toleration of professional prostitution has been found
to be medically useless as a check on the spread of
venereal diseases, and may even prove positively harmful,
tending as it does to give official sanction to a vicious
trade.”